Panty hose support garment

ABSTRACT

Knitted panty hose having a midriff encircling support portion comprising elastic fabric. In recent years, knitted ladies&#39;&#39; panty hose have achieved wide popular appeal.

United States Patent inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Sam C. Safri! Winston-Salem, N.C. 747,655

July 25, 1968 July 27, 1971 Hanes Corporation Winston-Salem, N.C.

PANTY HOSE SUPPORT GARMENT 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S.C1

' (56/172,66/176, 2/224 Int. Cl Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1970 Safrit et al.

Rutledge 66/176 UX Martel 66/172 Kattermann... 66/176 Braun et al. 66/176 Goodman 66/177 Rice i 2/224 Crawford 66/41 Sheek 66/173 Gilchrist i 66/175 Fillmore et a1 66/177 Primary Examiner- Ronald F eldbaum Attorney-Paul and Paul ABSTRACT: Knitted panty hose having a midriff encircling support portion comprising elastic fabric.

in recent years, knitted ladies panty hose have achieved wide popular appeal.

l\ n l TOR AM. c. SAFRIT ATTORNEYS.

.PATENTED m2 '1 an PANTY HOSE SUPPORT GARMENT Examples of developments in this art may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,128,475; 3,249,110; 2,826,760; 3,344,621; 3,212,103;3,359,57l and 2,127,541.

Ladies panty hose are designed for the laudable objective of enhancing the natural attributes of the wearer and provide an attractive covering from the toes to waist which is uninterrupted by unsightly garters, hooks, clips, etc.

Unfortunately, however, the human form is not always perfect. In particular, when an overabundance of nourishment is consumed, the excess is stored by the body as a fatty layer, mainly about the midriff section of the trunk, i.e., the middle part of the body between the chest and the waist.

While the typical panty hose which has been developed thus enhance the beauty of those who possess shapely form, they do not assist the wearer who suffers from the problem of midriff bulge," as the fatty layer about the trunk portion is commonly called.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a panty hose support garment which has an elastic portion for the support and compression of midriff bulge.

It is a further object to provide a knitted panty hose support garment having a midriff encircling portion comprising a double layer of fabric having elastic characteristics.

A more specific object is to provide a circular knit panty hose support garment having a double layer of fabric integrally knit with the stocking portions wherein the double layer surrounds the lower trunk of the body and incorporates elastic yarn knit in with the yarn forming the basic fabric of the garment.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description of an exemplarly embodiment thereof and from the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view ofthe finished panty hose support garment.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic sectional view taken along the lines "-11 of FIG. 3 showing the double fabric of the midriff portion of the panty hose garment.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, schematic stitch diagram of the circular knit elastic fabric of which the double layer of the midriff portion of the garment may be comprised.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the basic parts forming the finished panty hose garment shown in FIG. 1.

Throughout the specification and claims hereof, the term stretch yarn" shall indicate any of the well-known synthetic, thermoplastic, heat-settable yarns which have capacity to elongate and contract, but have virtually no power in contraction. Such yarns include Agilon," "Cantrece" 880 or 881, false twist S and Z yarns, S and Z twist yarns of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,733 and Duotwist" yarn of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,091,908.

The term elastic yarn" as used herein shall mean any yarn having an inherent capacity to elongate under tension, and having an inherent tendency to contract from an elongated condition with a degree of power in contraction. Such yarns include rubber and spandex yarns, both bare and covered.

The term elastic fabric" as used herein means a knitted fabric incorporating elastic yarn.

The panty hose 20 includes a body portion 21, stocking portions 22, 23 and a gusset 24 in the crotch.

The panty hose 20 is made, according to one method, by initially knitting a pair of tubes A, B on a knitting machine, such as that ofthe circular type, and then partially slitting the fabric longitudinally from the top as illustrated in F IG. 2 so as to provide opposing rear edges 25, 26 and front edges 27, 28. The rear edges 25, 26 and then joined, as by sewing. In like manner, the front edges 27, 28 are also joined. If desired, the lower portions of the edges 25-28 may be joined to a gusset 24 to provide additional room in the crotch area of the garment. U.S. Pat. No. 3,344,621 may be referred to for additional details for assembly.

The basic fabric (hereinafter the *base" fabric) forming the garment 20 may be of any suitable yarn or combination of yarns. For example, the base fabric may be of nylon or one of the stretch yarns.

In order to provide the midriff support desired, the garment 20 includes a top portion 29 comprising a double layer of elastic fabric. This fabric may derive its elastic properties by the incorporation of elastic yarn in the base fabric or the fabric portion 29 may be knit entirely of elastic yarn.

A preferred form of the stitch structure of the midriff support means is shown in FIG. 2 which illustrates a weft fabric comprising a base fabric of yarn 30 of relatively inelastic characteristics such as Nylon having an elastic yarn 31 such as rubber or Spandex knit in every fourth Wale and floated across the intervening Wales Of course, the elastic yarn 31 need not be knit in every course in the area 29, but may be knit in any desired sequence, such as in alternate courses. Similarly, if desired, the elastic yarn 31 may be knit in any desired sequence in the Wales including alternate Wales. The method of knitting in the elastic yarn may be that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,211.

lf desired, moreover, the elastic yarn in the elastic fabric area 29 may be interlaced, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,344,350.

F IG. 2 is a schematic section taken along the arrows 11-11 of FIG. 4, with the elastic area 29 of double fabric shaded.

1n the manufacturing process, the double fabric portion 29 may be knit on a circular knitting machine by forming an extra long turned welt and then proceeding with the knitting of the remainder of the hose. lfdesired, the top edge 32 of the elastic portion 29 can be secured to the lower portion thereof by stitching a seam 33, and this technique would be employed where the fabric portion 29 is not knit as a turned welt, but is doubled over upon itself subsequent to knitting by either manual or machine means, or a combination of both.

The garment 20 of the present invention may also be manufactured on a warp knitting machine, for example a Raschel machine equipped with a single needle: bar and four yarn guide bars, in which case the elastic yarn can be incorporated in the manner shown inSafrit et al. U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 729,261 filed May 15, 1968.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be made in the construction of the garment of this invention without departing from the purpose: or spirit thereof and which will be included in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A panty hose support garment for covering the toes, feet, legs, hips, waist and midriff of the wearer comprising a tubular midriff encircling portion of elastic fabric, a crotch and twoleg encircling portions, said midriff encircling portion comprising at least two layers of elastic fabric, said fabric layers including a weft knit base yarn and elastic yarn knit in spaced Wales said fabric layers joined by sewn stitches, and said midriff encircling portion extending from the upper edge of the garment located above the waist of the wearer to a location intermediate to garment upper edge and crotch. 

1. A panty hose support garment for covering the toes, feet, legs, hips, waist and midriff of the wearer comprising a tubular midriff encircling portion of elastic fabric, a crotch and twoleg encircling portions, said midriff encircling portion comprising at leasT two layers of elastic fabric, said fabric layers including a weft knit base yarn and elastic yarn knit in spaced Wales said fabric layers joined by sewn stitches, and said midriff encircling portion extending from the upper edge of the garment located above the waist of the wearer to a location intermediate to garment upper edge and crotch. 